Lab-First
High-Gravity ABV and the Precision Gap
A data-driven look at why standard ABV formulas fail in high-gravity fermentation and how to implement higher-precision models.
process
judging
Judging and the Anatomy of a Score Sheet
It is inevitable. After a major competition, someone posts a horribly written score sheet to social media, and drama ensues; defensive lines are formed, names called. In my years of competing, the quality of score sheet feedback has been random. When reading paired sheets side-by-side, you can often tell who
Brewer's Notes
Keys to Consistency
Leaning forward from my last post about lessons learned, I am putting a plan together to help me hit a stretch goal of consistency. While this may seem obvious, I am pretty serious about eliminating "possibly" problematic issues, and striking highly consistent and predictable brewing. So here are
Brewer's Notes
Brewing With a Master - Ricardo Fritzsche
Meet Ricardo About a year and a half ago, I met this energetic dude with a strong Southern (that is Argentinian) accent, that was coming back to Austin after spending a few years in Munich. Ricardo engaged the Zealots, looking to get back involved. Even while shipping beers over from
Brew-Magic
Practical Guide - Low Oxygen Brewing on the Brew-Magic
Discussions of brewing with low oxygen have returned to the home brewing world with some controversy. I will be using LO2 as a short cut to describe what has been termed LoDO or low oxygen brewing. If you follow this blog, you are aware that I have been exploring low
Bru'n Water Tutorial
Bru'n Water Spreadsheet Tutorial 1.17: Free Edition
Martin Brungard’s Bru’n Water spreadsheet (BWS) is a modelling tool for managing your brewing water. Below, we walk through the FREE version of the spreadsheet with specific examples, reviewing options. For a modest donation, you will receive the advanced spreadsheet and details are later in this walkthrough. The
Brewer's Notes
Low Oxygen Brewing; Exploring LODO
Low oxygen brewing has been largely dismissed as a quality issue for home brewing. The term "Hot Side Aeration" or HSA was once considered a serious home brewing problem when George Fix described beer stability issues in Principles of Brewing Science: A Study of Serious Brewing Issues. Since,
Honey
Mead, Part 2: Must Make Mead!
Must Make Mead Beer is made from pitching yeast into wort; Mead is made from pitching yeast into must, the blend of honey and water. To start, we are going to focus on a simple wildflower honey traditional. The recipe is for 5 gallons (19l), but can scale down or
Brewer's Notes
Brew-day Walkthrough. Therapy. Meditation.
Brewing, for me, has become therapy, almost meditation. If you are allergic to overly romantic or nostalgic posts, look away, but I am stopping short of writing poetry. I suck at that anyway. Here’s how I brew, with an overly sentimental focus on rhythms and senses. Forgive the grammar
Experiment
Farmhouse Ales, Revisited: Part 2
The Farmhouse I set out in October of 2015 to redefine my understanding of Farmhouse Ales in a more personal way, connecting to my heritage in agriculture. While a bit narcissistic, this was inspired by visiting my family's homestead in Smith County, Kansas. I have since been back
competition
Behind the Scenes, BrewUnited Challenge 2015: Balanced Division
I have completed the BrewUnited Challenge 2015, Balanced Division activities. It occurs to me there are some lessons to be learned from peeking behind the scenes and getting a sense of what really goes into such a thing. So here is a quick summary, with a few comments that should
Experiment
Damn the Torpedo... or Hopback - Part Two
Well, the jury is in on this first stage experiment. Fail. Crash and burn... In the spirit of honesty the beer sucked. This is all hop flavor soup and way too much sweetness. A lesson in the need for balance, especially bitterness. Tastes like overly back sweetened Bud soaked in